Call 12: Reviews of Neon Run aren’t glowing

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By Robert AnglenCall 12 for ActionSat Mar 30, 2013 7:52 PM

It was billed as a 5K night fun run with neon lights, paint and glowing water and a goal of helping a local charity.

By the time the Neon Run at Firebird International Raceway ended last weekend, hundreds of participants said they felt cheated. They said the course was dangerous and disorganized and that promoters made promises of free beer and other merchandise that was not delivered.

A Call 12 for Action investigation also found that while more than 4,000 participants paid up to $60 each, the Neon Run has promised only $2,500 to Ronald McDonald House Charities in Phoenix. It has not yet been delivered.

The Neon Run owners, who are not identified on the company’s website or Facebook page, posted anonymous apologies last week saying was this their first event and that they would be “working extremely hard to fix everything” for the next 11 runs planned at cities throughout the country.

Business records and fictitious business filings in California show the Neon Run is operated by a Southern California chiropractor named Cory Sartin and his brother Kevin Sartin.

In an interview last week, Kevin Sartin, 30, of Yucaipa, denied that he and his brother were owners, saying only that they “represented” the race.

State business filings list Kevin Sartin as a general partner in the Neon Run. The corporate address for the race is a single-family residence owned by his brother in San Bernardino.

Kevin Sartin was asked about both those facts and would not discuss them.

Cory Sartin, owner of Abundant Life Chiropractic in Rancho Cucamonga, did not return calls.

Kevin Sartin said, “Some people’s expectations were not met, but obviously a lot of good came out of it.”

Sartin, who is president of a company called Active Life Events, said he has put on various events in many different cities. Then he said this was the first Neon Run and that it was organized by “a group of buddies who wanted to do something.”

Sartin spoke about the Neon Run using the first person, saying it was “our event” and that “we are giving partial refunds.” Later, he switched to third person, saying it was “their run.”

Sartin acknowledged that only a few thousand dollars is going to charity. He said that reflects the amount of revenue raised by the race, which was not very profitable.

“I know the goal is to donate to some kind of charity in every city that they have it in,” he said.

Sartin said the race did not raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. He said most people did not pay full admission price or even the $50 online price. He said most used a group coupon on Living Social. He said the reduced price generated about $8 per person that went to the Neon Run.

Sartin said he could not provide any information about actual revenue. He said promoters had to pay for the venue, T-shirts, entertainment and staff, among other things.

About profit, Sartin said, “I can guarantee that it (profit) is little or none.”

The Neon Run website says one of the primary goals of the race is to raise money for local charities.

“One of our greatest visions for the Neon Run is bringing fun, memories, and fund raising to local communities. We select a different local organization for each city,” the website states.

Officials at the Ronald McDonald House said Friday that the Neon Run has promised a $2,500 donation but that it has not been delivered.

“A check is in the mail,” said Nancy Roach, Ronald McDonald House executive director.

She said Ronald McDonald House received a phone call from the Neon Run in January about accepting a donation. Roach said she was unsure about whether the race had taken place — or whether Ronald McDonald House had been designated a recipient — until members of the public began raising concerns.

Roach said the Neon Run contacted the non-profit after the race and offered $2,500.

“After careful consideration, we have agreed to accept the offered $2,500 donation because we know the funds will be used to help families who cannot afford to pay the $15 nightly fee we ask and would have nowhere else to turn,” Roach said in a statement. “While we would have preferred to have gone through the official process, the benefit that the funds will provide certainly justifies our decision.”

A week after the March 23 race, complaints dominate the Neon Run’s Facebook page and are still prominent on social-media websites. They include gripes about condition of the course, poor lighting, the lack of water and the failure to deliver promised beer and other merchandise.

Some complained thatthe Neon Run borrowed pictures from other venues and tried to pass them off as its own. Others raised questions about the number of Facebook page “likes” the Neon Run had generated without having hosted a race in the past.

“Worst running experience so far! The gravel, potholes, etc made it dangerous to run at night not to mention the hordes of people running/walking. And the fact that there was no water is just dangerous!” Laura Norton Baez of Queen Creek wrote on Facebook. “Very poorly run and it turns out the whole thing was a sham ... I definitely want my money back!”

Chandler resident Lisi Bierster Sennett said she was disappointed by the Phoenix race.

“I have asked for a full refund and they have yet to respond,” she wrote. “Save your money: Buy glow sticks at the $1 store and put the fill on your clothes, jog thru your neighborhood with friends and your IPods and you will have a better time than we did.”

Others raised concerns about the Neon Run’s future races, including ones scheduled April 13 in San Diego and June 8 in San Francisco.

“Contact the next three venues and tell them to cancel The Neon Run,” Jordan Bell wrote on Facebook. “Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego), Candlestick Park (San Francisco), Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles). Why let them mess up and then blame the venue?”

Robert Anglen and Veronica Sanchez lead the Call 12 for Action team, focused on issues important to Arizona consumers. Contact the reporter at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @robertanglen.

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